


The Ring

by startrekkingaroundasgard



Series: 25 days of ficmas [9]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Misunderstanding, Pining, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 15:57:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16915884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrekkingaroundasgard/pseuds/startrekkingaroundasgard
Summary: While helping Tony and Bruce on a project, Stephen see the reader and instantly falls for her. However, when he gives her a present for Christmas there is a little misunderstanding over its meaning.





	The Ring

Stephen Strange didn’t like the Compound all that much. He found that all the Avengers got on his nerves if he stuck around too long and there were nowhere near as fun to tease as Wong. Really, given the choice he would never leave the Sanctum unguarded but the work Tony and Bruce were doing could be revolutionary and he had been too intrigued by the premise to leave it in Tony’s questionably capable hands.

Once a week, Stephen would open a portal to their lab - because why take a taxi when this way was so much easier? - and immediately get to work on the experiments. He allowed himself to act as a human guinea pig and let the two scientists take their readings as he used his magic not because they asked nicely but because he knew the project was too important to fail.

As soon as they were finished, he would usually bid them a short farewell (it depended on how well the tests had gone on how kind a goodbye they received) and then return to the Sanctum without another word. However, today was different. Half way through their regularly scheduled experiments, they were interrupted by someone - by you - and Stephen suddenly didn’t want to leave so badly.

You were decked out in leggings and a baggy jumper that fell to your knees. Your hair was messy, sticking up all over the place, and your skin was covered in scrapes and bruises from where you had just arrived back after a mission. You had clearly seen better days but Stephen thought you looked like a dream. All you did was smile at the guys and mutter a quiet hello and that was enough to take his breath away.

He hadn’t felt this way for many years and never so intense or out of the blue. But watching the way you moved around the lab, just ambling between the stations and reading over files with a cup of steaming coffee in your hands, Stephen felt like a new man. He couldn’t take his eyes off you, completely enraptured by your silent confidence. There was something about your combination of grace and utter clumsiness that absolutely stole his heart.

As you neared their workbench you tripped over your feet, sending your mug of coffee flying. Stephen leapt off his chair to try and offer some assistance but froze in surprise when time slowed to a near stop long enough for you to right yourself and catch the cup. You looked up and met his gaze, winking at him, before everything sped up once again.

Catching Stephen’s confused expression, Bruce patted him on the shoulder and explained, “Y/N’s the reason we started this project. Her magic isn’t quite the same as yours - it’s more of a mutation that allows her to interact with the universe in a way that is similar to the magic we’ve seen - but the energy output was enough to catch our attention and device the generator idea. If not for her input then we never would have considered making the generator an organic system… Are you listening to me?”

“What? Yes, of course I am,” Stephen said indignantly. “Science. Magic. Lots of energy. Has to be organic to store the magical charge. I’m listening.”

“You’d better be more focused than this when you start playing with the generator,” Tony grumbled. “This is highly experimental bio-machinery. It has taken us weeks to grow the mechanical nervous system. If you are this easily distracted by a pretty face then I am not letting you anywhere near it. God knows what you’d be like staring at me for so long.”

“Trust me, Stark, I will have no trouble controlling myself around you. Your hybrid generator is safe.” Stephen frowned, forcing himself to tear his gaze away from you and refocus on the work at hand.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Every now and then, Stephen would catch his attention drifting towards you. He became so focused on all the little details about you that he completely missed what Tony was telling him about the generator’s wiring. How could he think when all he could hear was your finger nails tapping against the desk in time to your music? When all he could see was the way you wrapped a loose thread around your fingers and silently moved your mouth, talking to yourself, as you worked through a problem. It was only when you glanced over to the guys on your way out of the lab and caught him staring that he finally looked away like an embarrassed school boy.

With you no longer around to capture his attention, he was able to devote his entire mind to the problem at hand. After a quick examination of the generator, Stephen was able to find the ‘injury’ and rejoin the nerves of the system back together to make it function again. It was just like the operations he used to do before his accident. All really rather simple.

Announcing that the procedure was finished, Stephen nearly jumped out of his skin when you gave a joyous little clap from nearby. He’d been so in the zone that he hadn’t even noticed that you’d reappeared, bringing with you a tray of coffee and biscuits.

“I figured you gentlemen would need some kind of pick me up after that,” you smiled, handing Bruce and Tony their mugs. Bringing the final one over to Stephen, you said, “I had to guess how you had yours but you seem like a straight up kind of guy so I went for black. I hope that’s okay?”

“Thanks, that’s just fine.” Stephen felt far too proud of himself for managing to get that out without stuttering once. You’d just beamed in response and he thought that his heart would give out right then.

From that day on, Stephen never dreaded his visits to the Compound. In fact, he began to offer his assistance more and more often, taking each and every excuse to spend more time in the lab - and in your company. As the weeks passed he got to know you better and every day he would find something new about you that he adored.

You were so passionate about everything; your research, hobbies, friends and family. Stephen had never met another person that embraced life as fully as you. It was awe inspiring, the lengths you were willing to go to to achieve a goal or make someone else happy. Nothing seemed to put you down. Somehow, despite the crazy life you lived, you were the most down to Earth person on the planet. A spark of much needed sanity in the team.

Smart and beautiful and funny. You were just perfect and, before long, Stephen’s every waking thought belong to you. He fought to keep him thoughts professional but, unfortunately, he wasn’t as good as hiding his feelings as he imagined.

“Just ask her out, man,” Tony said one day, coming up to Stephen’s desk and dropping a broken prototype infront of him. “I am sick of your pining. You know Christmas is coming up, right?”

Stephen nodded, biting back the retort that it would have been impossible not to notice with the way Tony blared crappy Christmas music through the lab on repeat. And, of course, the increasingly hideous festive jumpers had also been quite the give away. “I am aware.”

“Get Y/N a gift, then.” Catching the look of absolute helplessness on Stephen’s face, Tony suggested, “Jewellery is always good. I’ll give you the name of my guy, if you like. Pepper loves the stuff that he creates for her.”

“Thank you, Tony.”

“No big deal. Now, about the generator, I was thinking…”

“God help us all.”

***

Stephen only found out that you weren’t sticking around for the holidays the morning you were leaving. Hoping that he hadn’t missed you, he opened a portal and stepped out into the foyer of the Compound, tripping straight over your suitcase.

“Oh, Doctor! Are you okay?” you asked, stretching out your hand to help him up. “You’re almost as clumsy as me!”

“Thank you, I’m fine,” he breathed, awkwardly straightening out his shirt. You stood silently for a moment before Stephen’s cape poked him in the side, reminding him of the reason he was so desperate to see you. Pulling a small box from his pocket, he said, “I, uh, got you something. For Christmas. Obviously.”

“Aw, you didn’t have to do that!” You opened the little box and stared down at the beautiful ring but, instead of looking happy with the gift, you looked incredibly confused and more than a little scared. “I… Um… Stephen… Are you proposing to me?”

Stephen suddenly realised how this looked and was quick to assure you that that was not the case. “No! No,” he said, shaking his head. “I saw that you always wear rings and thought you’d like a new one… I hope that’s okay…”

“Oh! Well, in that case, thank you,” you laughed, the sound music to his ears. You slipped the ring on to your finger (perfectly sized, Stephen noticed in relief) and admired the delicate design against your skin. Stretching up on tip toes, you kissed his cheek then asked, “How does next Tuesday sound?”

“For what?” Stephen asked, his forehead crumpling in confusion.

“Well, I believe the traditional order of doing things is going on a date and then the proposal comes later. But, since I already have the ring, I figure we’ve got a few dates to make up for. Unless… Sorry, was that not what you wanted to ask?”

“Yes. I mean, I was… I would love that. Tuesday. Great. Have a good Christmas, Y/N.”

Twisting the ring around your finger absentmindedly, you met his gaze and laughed at the blush spreading over his cheeks. Grabbing your suitcase, you said with a smile, “I have a feeling that it’s gonna be the best one yet.”


End file.
